In this world, cultivation is divided into two primary paths: magic and martial arts.

  Martial artists circulate mana through their bodies, strengthening flesh, bones, and weapons. Their power lies in close combat—speed, endurance, and lethal precision.

  Mages, on the other hand, condense mana into a core formed within the mind. Through that core, they manipulate the surrounding elements and construct spells capable of devastating range and versatility.

  Because magic is rarer and often more destructive, it is commonly viewed as superior.

  But that belief is shallow.

  Both paths have strengths. Both have weaknesses.

  Helena was a mage—and a gifted one.

  At just twenty years old, she had already reached the Sixth Layer of Mana. Among the younger generation of the Eldoria Imperium, she was considered a prodigy.

  Only one person of our age group had surpassed her.

  My sister, Marielle Valemont.

  Marielle had broken into the Sixth Layer at nineteen—an achievement that had shaken the capital.

  And now, Helena stood before me, her mana surging without restraint.

  I gripped the hilt of my sword and assumed a calm stance.

  Mana flowed around my body—but I deliberately suppressed it, revealing only Fourth Layer fluctuations.

  That was the strength the world believed Edric Valemont possessed.

  Helena smirked when she sensed it.

  Despite hearing that I had forced an Imperial Guard captain to reveal Seventh Layer power, she clearly believed it had been luck.

  And more importantly—

  She was a mage.

  In her eyes, a Fourth Layer swordsman posed no real threat.

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  “Valeria,” I said calmly, without looking back, “please step inside.”

  Valeria hesitated, worry flashing across her face.

  “Edric… be careful.”

  “I will.”

  She retreated into the house.

  The moment the door closed, Helena made her move.

  The magic formation above her head flared brilliantly.

  Dozens of arrows formed from condensed mana materialized in the air, their tips glowing with sharp, compressed force.

  She waved her hand.

  “Force Arrows.”

  The rain descended.

  I didn’t retreat.

  Instead, I stepped forward.

  Then—

  I exploded into motion.

  Mana surged into my legs as I dashed low to the ground, accelerating toward her at full speed.

  Helena watched calmly.

  The arrows descended like a storm.

  At the final instant—

  I stopped.

  My body twisted sharply, movements precise to the smallest margin. I slid through the barrage, weaving between the arrows as though I had predicted each trajectory.

  Not one touched me.

  Helena’s eyes narrowed.

  Two new magic circles flared beneath my feet.

  Chains of condensed mana erupted upward, aiming to bind my limbs.

  I didn’t slow down.

  With a subtle shift in balance, I pivoted mid-step, slipping between the rising chains as if gravity barely applied to me.

  Now—

  I was within range.

  Shing.

  My blade left its sheath.

  A flash of silver cut through the air.

  Iaido.

  The sword stroke moved so fast it seemed to skip a frame of reality itself.

  Helena’s eyes widened.

  But the back of her hand lit up with a hidden formation.

  “Force Wall.”

  A translucent barrier materialized instantly before her.

  Clang!!!

  The impact rang like struck steel.

  My blade halted.

  The barrier trembled—just slightly—before stabilizing.

  I leapt backward immediately.

  Two spears of mana pierced the ground where I had stood a heartbeat earlier.

  Helena lowered her hand slowly, studying me with newfound interest.

  “As expected of Prince Edric Valemont,” she said lightly. “Impressive for someone ‘limited’ to the Fourth Layer.”

  Her lips curved faintly.

  “But you cannot break a Sixth Layer defensive spell so easily.”

  I said nothing.

  She wasn’t wrong.

  If I relied purely on Fourth Layer output, her barrier would hold.

  But raw power was not the only factor in battle.

  Mages had spells.

  Martial artists had skills.

  And I—

  I carried the experience of countless lifetimes.

  I straightened.

  Mana began flowing into my sword once more—but this time, differently.

  Not more quantity.

  Sharper quality.

  The air grew thin.

  A subtle, razor-like pressure spread outward.

  Helena’s smile faded.

  “That intent…” she murmured.

  Sword intent gathered invisibly along the blade.

  It shimmered once—then vanished completely.

  The world grew quiet.

  Helena’s instincts screamed.

  “It seems you’ve learned an advanced technique,” she said carefully. “But do you believe that alone is enough?”

  I smiled faintly.

  “You’ll see.”

  I stepped forward.

  One clean downward slash.

  “Reality Render… restrained form.”

  There was no explosion.

  No flash.

  Just a single, silent cut.

  For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

  Then—

  Helena’s Force Wall split cleanly in two.

  The barrier dissolved into fragments of mana.

  Her eyes widened in disbelief.

  The impossible had just occurred.